Overview
- The Knicks clinched the NBA championship 4-1 on Saturday when Jalen Brunson scored 45 points to lead a 94-90 Game 5 victory at the Spurs’ Frost Bank Center.
- Brunson was named Finals MVP after setting a Knicks record for points in a Finals game and delivering late scoring that sealed the title.
- New York’s run was defined by resilience: the team rallied from double-digit deficits in each of its four wins, including a 29-point comeback in Game 4 capped by OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds left.
- San Antonio’s young core showed promise — Victor Wembanyama finished Game 5 with 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks and rookie Dylan Harper scored 25 in the series — leaving the Spurs positioned as a rising contender despite the loss.
- Celebrations swept New York with the Empire State Building lit in team colors and thousands at watch parties, while local officials, teams and the mayor addressed reported incidents of harassment toward Spurs fans and the expanded Secret Service and NYPD security around games.